I-75 construction would be cut by a decade or more under new MDOT plan

MDOT announced at a roundtable Monday that it would be finishing construction on I-75 a decade or more earlier than anticipated.

New plan cuts construction by 10 years

$1 billion will be privately financed

Construction halted until next summer

The I-75 modernization plan for Oakland County is getting an overhaul that could cut a decade or more off the length of the project.

The new goal is to reconstruct and modernize 18 miles of freeway between Eight Mile Road and South Boulevard by the end of 2022. Previously, the expected end to the project was 2034.

The move is a response to concerns from business owners, commuters and residents that a 17-year construction project, comprised of at least eight segments, was too long, said Tony Kratofil, region engineer for the Michigan Department of Transportation, during a media roundtable on Monday.

Following segment one completion of the plan earlier this month, MDOT's new strategy will have two major effects on commuters. First, construction on the freeway will be put on hold until at least next summer. When it does start, however, it will be full-throttle.

"It'll be a long construction zone, and it'll affect the whole corridor," Kratofil said.

The project will be broken up into two phases: the southern segment from Eight Mile to 13 Mile roads and the northern segment from 13 Mile Road to Coolidge Highway.

The northern segment, which will likely be started first, will cost about $350 million and be covered by public funds. The southern segment, which probably won't see work until 2019, will run near $1 billion and be privately financed and paid back with public funds over 25 to 30 years.

Because MDOT does not have the funds secured to pay for the entire project up front, the best way to still expedite construction is by seeking private partners, Kratofil said.

MDOT is issuing a request for qualifications from contractors this fall. The pool will be shortlisted to three teams, which will receive $575,000 stipends for their project designs, before a final contractor is chosen.

Kratofil said the main drawback to the new plan is that the major construction zone will not be divided into segments, which could make for a dicey commute. He said cutting the project by 10 years would not compromise the quality of the roads.